From somewhere on the internet, at the other end of a google stick I shook a moment ago:
2002
The Cat 6 standard was first released in 2002 as part of the Telecommunications Industry Association's TIA/EIA-568-B. 2-1 document specification.
That doesn't mention when it became available, just that the spec was released.
Then there's this,
Is CAT-7 real?
Followed by
[Link: loxone.com]:
4 Simple Reasons Why Choosing CAT 7 Cable Really Pays Off
A Category 7 cable, more commonly known as a CAT 7 or Cat-7 cable, is used for the cabling infrastructure of Gigabit Ethernet. A CAT 7 cable offers performance of up to 600MHz. Put simply, a CAT 7 cable is what we recommend you use when wiring your smart home! Once you’ve wired your smart home, you can check out some of our favorite home automation ideas!
this was definitely an advertisement....
